RMI Expeditions Blog

Yesterday was spent at K2 Aviation's hangar, putting the finishing touches on our packing and preparing. The weather is beautiful herein Talkeetna, and we fully expect to be able to fly into the Alaska Range today. Hopefully the next time we touch base will be from the Kahiltna Glacier. Cheers, RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Our attempt on Mt. Francis was great. We were making good time up the southeast ridge until conditions got really icy. We climbed a pitch of ice and then we made a group decision of turning back down. The views, as well as the learning experience, were incredible. Now we are all back in camp enjoying a hot cup of tea. Today we did our last seminar review and will be starting to pack for tomorrow's flight back to Talkeetna. Looking forward to a shower and a big salad. RMI Guide Andres Marin

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An easy day for the climbing team at Basecamp... Those without coughs went on big hikes, those with coughs went on lesser walks. By contrast, our Sherpa team went for a much more significant and ambitious journey. Tshering, Gylgen and Kaji carried loads from ABC all the way to the South Col, establishing high camp at close to 26,000 ft. They then returned to ABC, and now, in late afternoon, along with Lam Babu and Yubaraj, they are descending to Basecamp. That is what we call a big day in the Himalaya. Unfortunately, there is a somber feeling once again around the mountain. Another tragic fall occurred yesterday, killing a climber on the Lhotse Face. It isn't our place to divulge details and I don't wish to try to sensationalize Everest climbing by exploiting such sadness, but I'll mention the incident in order to give proper credit to those who worked hard to make a bad situation better. Lam Babu was one of those who rushed up to the scene to render aid and who helped with the difficult job of retrieving the victim's body which they then transported to ABC. Today, a helicopter pilot finished the job with another daring high altitude retrieval from 21,300 ft... making what was once phenomenal seem sadly routine, but in the process saving many climbers from the very difficult and dangerous task of carrying the victim down through the Khumbu Icefall. Tonight, our entire team will be together and safe in Basecamp. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Welcome to the start of RMI's Denali climbing season! All of the team members have arrived in Anchorage, and we're on our way to the small town of Talkeetna. Talkeetna is the main access point for climbers heading into the Alaska Range. We'll start the day tomorrow with breakfast at the historic Talkeetna Roadhouse, and then spend the bulk of the day packing equipment for our expedition. We'll also check in with the National Park Service and go through their informative orientation slide show. That's it for now. We'll keep you posted with another update tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Walter & team

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Today our Sherpa team secured prime real estate at Camp 3. The super Sherpa chopped away ice for a nice flat platform and supplied, but did not set up the tent. It is best to wait till the day the team is ready to use the tent; otherwise, the elements may damage or blow the unoccupied tent away. Sherpa plan to carry loads to the South Col tomorrow; these guys are tough. The climbing team is getting some exercise around Basecamp by day hiking, golfing, and playing horseshoes. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

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Today we put what we've learned the last few days into action. We headed to a crevasse and practiced our rescue techniques using the complete system. Going down in the crevasse was an incredible experience for everyone. It was written all over the team's faces in the great photos and big smiles that made this day just fantastic. We are going to bed early and hoping for good weather for our summit attempt to the East ridge of Mt. Francis. Wish us luck. All best, RMI Guide Andres Marin

On The Map

Lam Babu and our all-star Sherpa team were walking out of Basecamp by 4 this morning, bound for Advanced Basecamp (ABC). Their plan is to use the days ahead to establish Camp III on the Lhotse Face and to begin carries to the South Col. It is a good plan and works well with the climbing team intention to head up for a last "practice" rotation on the hill, sleeping as high as Camp III. We were going for that last difficult push starting tomorrow, but have now reconsidered. A cough has taken precedence, as coughs sometimes do in the month of May on Mount Everest. We've worked with this particular cough for weeks already and have no fondness for it. The judgement call has come down to: sleep at 24,000 ft, gaining valuable experience in a tough environment while coming down in time for a last rest before the summit bid... Or get healthy and banish the cough before trying for the top. Get Healthy won out. We'll stay down while the Sherpa team is up this time (they'll be back to BC in a few days). We'll put a priority on getting the climbing team strong and we'll contend with a longer-than-expected rest while carefully examining weather reports... On the lookout for a suitable "window" between the Jetstream and the Monsoon. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

This place just keeps getting better and better. Today we climbed Radio Tower!!! The weather was incredible and the views just fantastic. We climbed this peak via the southside and gained the east ridge to the top. The entire group had the chance to learn a lot and had a great time while climbing our first summit. After a long day we are eating dinner and planning a day of ice climbing and crevasse rescue that we have in front of us. All best, RMI Guide Andres Marin and the Alaska Alpine Seminar

Fit to Climb: Week 14 Schedule

DAY	WORKOUT	TOTAL TIME	DIFFICULTY
1	Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min)	42 min.	Medium
2	1-2-3 Stair Workout x 5	90 min.	Very Hard
3	Rainier Dozen / Rest	12 min.	Recovery
4	Rainier Dozen / Fartlek Training Hike or Stair Interval Training (2 hrs)	120 min.	Very Hard
5	Rainier Dozen / Hike (2 hrs, 1,500' of elevation gain)	120 min.	Medium
6	Rainier Dozen / Hike (4 hrs, 2,500' of elevation gain)	420 min.	Medium
7	Rainier Dozen / Hike (7 hrs, 4,500' of elevation gain, 45 pounds of pack weight)	420 min.	Medium
	Total	17 hrs 24 mins.

BRIEFING Week 14 may well be harder than the climb itself. This is intentional: in an ideal situation, you want to make the training more difficult than the climb so that you can arrive feeling more than prepared! Self care, organization, and a positive attitude play a critical role in the success of this week’s training. Good luck! The only easy day this week was yesterday! During the first part of the week, you complete the interval training you are used to from the last few weeks. On Day 4, you have a choice between stair interval training or a fartlek training hike. Heading into the weekend, over three days you’ll complete up to 13 hours on the trail. After this effort, the next big push you’ll do will be on the climb! With the appropriate planning, you could make Days 5 through 7 a three-day backpacking trip. If you are able to, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a day off from work so that you can focus on a pretty tough series of workouts. The goal of these hikes is to prepare you fully for the terrain and efforts you will encounter in the mountains, hence the emphasis on elevations throughout the hikes - nothing beats training for uphill climbing like climbing uphill! Carry whatever amount of weight is necessary to pack all of the gear you will need for the hikes on Days 5 and 6, but aim to carry about 45 pounds on the final hike on Day 7. If you are unable to find steep enough terrain consider finding a series of smaller hills and repeating them until you achieve the needed amount of elevation gain. An altimeter watch is a great tool for this. You can also consider adding a bit of weight to your pack if that sort of elevation gain is out of the question for the terrain you have available but be careful not to injure yourself in the process. DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKOUTS Day 1: Rainier Dozen + Easy Hiking (30 Minutes) Today’s hike is a recovery workout and you can always substitute it with a different activity, such as running, biking or swimming. The important thing is to move at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes. The pace can be conversational and you do not need to be dripping with sweat at the end of the workout. Day 2: Stair Interval Training: The 1-2-3 Workout Warm up with some moderate paced stair climbing. Then, make three efforts: one moderately hard, one very hard, and one close to maximal effort, with rest periods in between. This may look like: • 2 minutes at 50-65% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest (1 minute standing, 2 minutes descending) • 2 minutes at 65-80% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest • 2 minutes at 85-90% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest Repeat this sequence five times. Day 3: Rainier Dozen / Rest Begin your day with the Rainier Dozen. Feel free to take another 30 to 60 minutes of light exercise if you feel like it (a brisk walk is a great option). If you feel tired, today is a good opportunity be good to take a complete rest day instead. Listen to your body. Day 4: Rainier Dozen / Fartlek Training Hike or Stair Interval Training (2 hrs) This week, you have a choice between a two hour fartlek training hike or your consistent pace stair training workout. Either way, warm up with the Rainier Dozen first. Day 5: Hike (2 Hours, 1,500 feet of elevation gain) After a warm up, hike for two hours and aim to cover 1,500’ of elevation change. If you are absolutely not able to take some time off from work or otherwise fit in three consecutive days of hiking, you might opt to skip this hike and do two long days instead by changing the hike on Day 6 to a 6 hour hike. Day 6: Hike (4 Hours, 2,500 feet of elevation gain) This is the second day of your three consecutive days of hiking this week. Find a hike that allows for 2,500’ of elevation change and takes about 4 hours. Warm up with the Rainier Dozen, and then hike at a consistent pace. Carry a light pack with you with just the bare essentials of food and water to keep you comfortable and adequately equipped for the hike. Day 7: Hike (7 Hours, 4,500 feet of elevation gain, 45 pounds of pack weight) This hike is shorter in distance than last week but bumps your pack weight up to 45 pounds. This is more akin to the weight of your pack on the actual climb. Pick a location that allows you to cover 4,500’ in elevation change. This will be your longest hike or workout of any kind until your actual summit bid and it’s a great opportunity to practice packing well, exercising the right safety-related steps, and take in the right nutrition. On the hike itself, keep moving at a consistent pace and try out any gear that you’ve recently purchased to make sure it works well for you. Pay close attention to how you feel during the hike because it is a great opportunity to learn from you experience and make any adjustments to your gear or nutrition before the climb itself. SUMMARY Hearty congratulations! You not only completed the toughest week of training, but have completed the entire peak phase of the Fit to Climb Program! As you think forward to the final couple of weeks, one thing you should feel confident about is that you have prepared yourself well and are set up for success on your climb. Next week’s training will be significantly different in that you’ll be resting instead of loading up your body. It’s also true that from this point forward, you really can’t build any more fitness. The best part of this news is that you don’t need to; you are ready! - John Colver Have a question? See the Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program. John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.

Cinco de Mayo and we are here with some nachos. No Margaritas, that will be later. Perfect weather, another beautiful day. Lots of prep work for the upcoming rotation. We took out the oxygen masks and regulators. They may use them if a night at Camp 3 becomes available. So important to double check the equipment before sending it up the hill. Our whole Sherpa team will start out early in the AM for Camp 2 and stay up there until Camp 3 is built and loads are in place at Camp 4. The Sherpa team is such a great group of men, we cannot thank them enough for all their help. The climbing team will rest one more day, then head up for the final rotation before the summit push. Dave and Seth have been doing fine work of all the details, what a couple of super guides we have leading this Expedition. A big shout out to Karla, Happy B-Day! Mt. Everest Basecamp Manager Mark Tucker

On The Map